News

As members would be aware, the Victorian Ambulance Union (VAU) has been advocating for stronger penalties for offenders who assault our members in the course of their employment.

The VAU has met with Government on several occasions about strengthening Emergency Worker Assault laws and will be meeting with the Victorian Law Reform Commission to discuss further options for reform.

However, the VAU remains concerned that there is a noticeable lack of consequences in the vast majority of cases where our members experience occupational violence. It is important to explore ways to create a deterrent for all forms of occupational violence including verbal abuse.

Following Delegates Conference, the VAU wrote to the Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services to seek a new set of interventions to sit alongside a framework of criminal charges.

In short, the VAU has suggested that, where a person abuses, threatens or assaults AV, NEPT or TZV staff, AV should suspend or cancel their AV membership and remove any exemption from payment for concession card holders. This would mean that the individual would still receive an ambulance response, if safe, but would be required to pay the full fee that applies to a non-member.

This framework is not designed to replace the need for courts to issue penalties or to restrict ambulance attendance altogether where there is risk to our members. It is aimed at trying to introduce a message of deterrent at a lower level. Members shouldn’t have to be assaulted to the point of injury, before there are consequences.

Members will be advised of any developments.